What are we to do with the recent public statements about pending calamities by prominent religious leaders?
Let me say this right up front so you know where I am coming from: I am not a doomsday seeker nor believer. I grew up in a dooms-day religious culture. But as I have read my Bible, and researched the foundation of most of today's "prophetic doomsday" utterances, I have totally rejected them. I am not concerned about, nor even expecting, a soon-coming "rapture." These are not "the end times"...but that's gist for another column. These fearful pronouncements have, for decades, emasculated the church and caused believers to live in fear. We need to be people of hope, of delight, of joyful worship and living, a people to be envied by our world. Instead, this kind of twisted theology has made us the laughing stock of the world. It's time for a change.
Then along comes David Wilkerson with another dire pronouncement of calamity. I like David Wilkerson. He has done a tremendous job in New York. His "Teen Challenge" has been one of our nations' most successful drug programs, and he has been at the forefront of social service partnerships between church and government. His Times Square Church reportedly draws 8,000 weekly.
So when the Drudge Report featured Wilkerson's prediction of "imminent catastrophe," I inwardly groaned. Here we go again. Ok...we need to be prudent and keep some food stocks in case of emergency. I live in a city full of trees, so what happens when we have a severe wind storm...we're on our own for a few days or a week. So being prepared is wisdom in action.
However, what I am hearing is much like the clarion calls of Y2K, of societal collapse and impending doom. Perhaps, for all his credibility, or lack of it, he is like those of whom Paul says, "for we know in part and we prophecy in part...and we see in a mirror dimly." (1 Cor. 13:9-12). Ok, I'll give him that much.
Everything has its cycles, including society and the economic world. We are not facing an "Armageddom," whatever in the world that is. A downturn? Of course. Nothing stays the same, nothing. We are entering a "season of the rollercoaster," when the ups and downs will be dramatic...but we are not going to collapse. This is a time for believers to cling to, and test, the depth of their dependence on the Lord
I am not so much concerned about Christ's "coming" as I am about you "going." I've conducted too many funerals, of literally all ages, to know that life has no guarantees. So...instead of worrying about someone's prophetic disaster, or how high or low this ride we are on can go, how about taking stock of your own life. Are you ready should "your number" be up? That's what concerns me. If not, are you prepared to ride it out, with grace and a knowledge of your security in Him. If not...why not?? The good news is that you can!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Grace On Tap
What does a grace-full Christian look like? Or better yet, how does a grace-full Christian look? I have been deeply challenged by Philip Yancey's book, "What's So Amazing About Grace" & have just finished teaching a 10-week study taken from the book. Yesterday I shared with our congregation some thoughts that have been digging away at my inner thinking process.
I have been challenged by the concept that a grace-full, grace-filled Christian is one who looks at the world through grace-tinted lenses. We do not base our Christian life on ethics or rules, but on the basis of a new way of seeing...seeing ourselves as the recipients of God's grace...totally undeserved. Yet He loves us. Love beyond comprehension. The amazing thing is that we can, and should see others in the same way, people God loves unconditionally.
So a grace-full Christian should delight in loving others, as God loves them. There is an excitement in that possibility. It doesn't matter the background or situation, we can love you as God does, unreservedly. God loves because of Who He is, not because of who we are. Categories of worthiness do not apply here. We have been called to be a people, to be a church, where this kind of grace is freely offered, where people come because they are hungry for grace.
That is exciting, and that is why we call our church "The Happy Church." We are learning to delight in loving others, as they are. We are striving to emulate Jesus. He did not condemn, He loved. Then He said, "Go and sin no more." We want to be a place where people can come and be loved. Thus we seek to be a group of people with "grace on tap." Plenty for everyone, and having a ball giving it out...to anyone who needs it.
Now doesn't that sound like fun? We happen to think so.
I have been challenged by the concept that a grace-full, grace-filled Christian is one who looks at the world through grace-tinted lenses. We do not base our Christian life on ethics or rules, but on the basis of a new way of seeing...seeing ourselves as the recipients of God's grace...totally undeserved. Yet He loves us. Love beyond comprehension. The amazing thing is that we can, and should see others in the same way, people God loves unconditionally.
So a grace-full Christian should delight in loving others, as God loves them. There is an excitement in that possibility. It doesn't matter the background or situation, we can love you as God does, unreservedly. God loves because of Who He is, not because of who we are. Categories of worthiness do not apply here. We have been called to be a people, to be a church, where this kind of grace is freely offered, where people come because they are hungry for grace.
That is exciting, and that is why we call our church "The Happy Church." We are learning to delight in loving others, as they are. We are striving to emulate Jesus. He did not condemn, He loved. Then He said, "Go and sin no more." We want to be a place where people can come and be loved. Thus we seek to be a group of people with "grace on tap." Plenty for everyone, and having a ball giving it out...to anyone who needs it.
Now doesn't that sound like fun? We happen to think so.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Quietness
I am sitting here in the quietness of my home...alone. My wife and companion of over 40 years is gone for five days, spending time with our daughter, then watching grandchildren for a few days. So it is rather quiet around here.
Quietness...these are needed times in our lives when we can stop, collect our thoughts, catch up on things that have been slipping or that we have just not paid attention to. Having been in grad school for the past two years, there has not been time, nor resources, for a vacation, no real time away, so these few days of quiet are welcomed (though I must admit I do miss my wife, who is my partner and friend).
Quietness...time to reflect, to pray, to read, to think, to rest...to just be quiet. Outside of conducting a funeral, then Sunday morning service, these will be very quiet days for me...on purpose. I have not scheduled anything, as I want to be quiet, to be still. I know, I have taxes to work on, but that will be done in quietness (perhaps the best way!).
Quietness...peaceful and relaxing. Exactly...and good for the soul. Time to reflect, to let the Word and my devotions soak into me.
Quietness...soft music in the background, and a pondering of St. Paul's words to the early church: "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Phil. 4:6-7 Msg. Bible)
Quietness...from the peace of God that displaces worry at the center of your life. Wow, what a way to go. I sure do recommend it.
Quietness...these are needed times in our lives when we can stop, collect our thoughts, catch up on things that have been slipping or that we have just not paid attention to. Having been in grad school for the past two years, there has not been time, nor resources, for a vacation, no real time away, so these few days of quiet are welcomed (though I must admit I do miss my wife, who is my partner and friend).
Quietness...time to reflect, to pray, to read, to think, to rest...to just be quiet. Outside of conducting a funeral, then Sunday morning service, these will be very quiet days for me...on purpose. I have not scheduled anything, as I want to be quiet, to be still. I know, I have taxes to work on, but that will be done in quietness (perhaps the best way!).
Quietness...peaceful and relaxing. Exactly...and good for the soul. Time to reflect, to let the Word and my devotions soak into me.
Quietness...soft music in the background, and a pondering of St. Paul's words to the early church: "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Phil. 4:6-7 Msg. Bible)
Quietness...from the peace of God that displaces worry at the center of your life. Wow, what a way to go. I sure do recommend it.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Have you read "The Shack?"
May I recommend a book to you? If you have not read "The Shack" go beg/borrow/steal a copy (ok...no stealing, but you can beg or borrow!). I read the book literally sitting on the edge of my seat. This is a novel that time after time reveals who God is to us, but in ways that shakes the establishment.
Twenty two months ago Paul Young (no relation) wrote the best-selling novel, "The Shack." He wrote it for his children, based on his own 11-year journey to redemption. The book was never intended to be a treatise on the Holy Spirit, but is a passion-laced recount of how God desires a relationship with His children. He also emphasizes that apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. This is not theology, it is an allegory.
If that is his emphasis, then he accomplished it. Through the use of allegories and imagery, he has created not only a terrific story of the grace and mercy of God, but he also helps introduce us to a God who is personal, a friend, someone who really knows us...yet loves us.
He graphically shows that Jesus did not come to set up a new religion, but to destroy religion by having a personal relationship with us. He shows how that Jesus will do anything to reach out to us and the depths He will go in pursuit of a relationship with us.
This author has successfully, though controversially, pictured a God who is willing to make Himself known to us so His children can see and hear Him. If this is controversial, count me in. I want to know God and I want Him to make Himself known to me, whatever that takes. I do not want to ever be so rigid, so "religious," that God can't shake me up and show me who He really is.
Before I quit, I have an observation. The more legalistic a person is, the harder time they have with this book. The author carefully, skillfully and blatantly cuts through the legalistic and moralistic panderings of the religious, and leaves them in shreds...unintentionally. I do not see that as one of his goals, but in his seeking to know God, this was the inevitable result of his story.
Go read it, and let me know how you did. Hopefully, there will come a deeper understanding of how much God really loves you. But don't be surprised if your pre-conceived ideas are tweaked...even a little, perhaps stretched more than you thought they could be. Go ahead...I dare you!
Twenty two months ago Paul Young (no relation) wrote the best-selling novel, "The Shack." He wrote it for his children, based on his own 11-year journey to redemption. The book was never intended to be a treatise on the Holy Spirit, but is a passion-laced recount of how God desires a relationship with His children. He also emphasizes that apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. This is not theology, it is an allegory.
If that is his emphasis, then he accomplished it. Through the use of allegories and imagery, he has created not only a terrific story of the grace and mercy of God, but he also helps introduce us to a God who is personal, a friend, someone who really knows us...yet loves us.
He graphically shows that Jesus did not come to set up a new religion, but to destroy religion by having a personal relationship with us. He shows how that Jesus will do anything to reach out to us and the depths He will go in pursuit of a relationship with us.
This author has successfully, though controversially, pictured a God who is willing to make Himself known to us so His children can see and hear Him. If this is controversial, count me in. I want to know God and I want Him to make Himself known to me, whatever that takes. I do not want to ever be so rigid, so "religious," that God can't shake me up and show me who He really is.
Before I quit, I have an observation. The more legalistic a person is, the harder time they have with this book. The author carefully, skillfully and blatantly cuts through the legalistic and moralistic panderings of the religious, and leaves them in shreds...unintentionally. I do not see that as one of his goals, but in his seeking to know God, this was the inevitable result of his story.
Go read it, and let me know how you did. Hopefully, there will come a deeper understanding of how much God really loves you. But don't be surprised if your pre-conceived ideas are tweaked...even a little, perhaps stretched more than you thought they could be. Go ahead...I dare you!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Gone...and Back
It is Sunday evening, and here we are, reading emails and trying to relax before beginning a new week. I arrived home this afternoon, having been away at the Rotary "President Elect Training Seminar" (PETS). The largest and oldest Rotary training seminar, with over 485 President-Elects, and a total attending of over 700! They encompassed 9 Rotary Districts from WA, OR, ID, CA (northern), BC, Yukon Territory (don't know that abbreviation!), and Russia east of the Ural Mountains.
It was an incredibly inspiring time as I prepare to be our local Rotary club's president on July 1. But the principles we covered also apply to the church, as they are just good administrative details that we all need to be reminded of. I roomed with an Irish-Canadian, who grew up in a Presbyterian parsonage in Ireland, his father a life-time Presbyterian pastor who just passed away two weeks ago. Since I also grew up in the parsonage, a Pastor's son, we had a lot to talk about, and I have a new friend! In fact, a lot of new friends from across the Northwest.
But...having to be gone over a weekend leaves my pulpit vacant, so my son, Kevin, was scheduled to fill the pulpit. However, he came down with a severe case of the flu, so what do you do in a smaller church. You "drop back 10 and punt," as they say. Two of the men in the church shared the pulpit, Marion, who helps Kevin with music, led the worship, and my wife, Connie, led the overall service. Sure there were hiccups and bumps, but they all did very well, and they survived in good form...and really, I did not worry a minute about them.
Sometimes we just do what we have to do, and keep going. We have been doing that now for almost 23 years as a church, and we are still here. We don't quit, and when things get tough, or the Pastor is gone, we step up to the plate and see how far we can hit the ball. They did good, and we will talk about it, laugh about it, and continue to grow in grace. Isn't that what it's all about? I think so...and I am glad to be back. Really, I missed being with them this morning!
It was an incredibly inspiring time as I prepare to be our local Rotary club's president on July 1. But the principles we covered also apply to the church, as they are just good administrative details that we all need to be reminded of. I roomed with an Irish-Canadian, who grew up in a Presbyterian parsonage in Ireland, his father a life-time Presbyterian pastor who just passed away two weeks ago. Since I also grew up in the parsonage, a Pastor's son, we had a lot to talk about, and I have a new friend! In fact, a lot of new friends from across the Northwest.
But...having to be gone over a weekend leaves my pulpit vacant, so my son, Kevin, was scheduled to fill the pulpit. However, he came down with a severe case of the flu, so what do you do in a smaller church. You "drop back 10 and punt," as they say. Two of the men in the church shared the pulpit, Marion, who helps Kevin with music, led the worship, and my wife, Connie, led the overall service. Sure there were hiccups and bumps, but they all did very well, and they survived in good form...and really, I did not worry a minute about them.
Sometimes we just do what we have to do, and keep going. We have been doing that now for almost 23 years as a church, and we are still here. We don't quit, and when things get tough, or the Pastor is gone, we step up to the plate and see how far we can hit the ball. They did good, and we will talk about it, laugh about it, and continue to grow in grace. Isn't that what it's all about? I think so...and I am glad to be back. Really, I missed being with them this morning!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Staying Pure...Part II
It took me more than a day to get back to this article. Sometimes life throws curves, and we have to step outside the box to hit a home-run...or even hit the ball. So I have been dealing with all kinds of things, but I am back, and here is the rest of Lee Grady's article in Chrisma Magazine. The first half of this is in the blog below, and if you haven't read it, go there first, then come back and finish here.
Lee was expressing his thoughts on "fornication" to a college audience, and I found them to be spot-right-on!! So I share them with you. Read on...
3. Get ruthless with your weaknesses. Jesus sounded stricter than a Catholic school principal when He talked to His disciples about self-discipline. He told them: "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matt. 5:29, NASB).
Jesus was not advocating self-mutilation. He was using sarcasm to emphasize how serious sin is—and He urged His followers to take radical steps to avoid the snares of temptation. In our sex-soaked society, it is more imperative than ever that we draw boundaries.
Got a problem with pornography? If you can't discipline yourself to avoid offending Web sites, get rid of your computer. Do you end up engaging in heavy petting or intercourse with your girlfriend or boyfriend after a few minutes of kissing? Draw lines and stick to them. And if you can't stick to the rules, ask for intervention. If you don't you are headed for spiritual shipwreck.
4. Live a transparent life. The Bible never advocates that we battle sin alone. We need each other. James 5:16 says: "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." In some cases you will never get victory over temptation until you share your struggle with another Christian and seek counsel and prayer.
So many believers today are living with secrets. Many women (and men too) were molested as children by a relative or friend—yet they have never shared their pain. Many young guys are trapped in a dark world of pornography and masturbation but are too ashamed to admit it. Many Christians struggle with same-sex attraction yet they fear that if they confess their thoughts they will be rejected.
You will never discover the abundant life Christ promised until you clean out your spiritual closets and deal with all your dirty laundry. Total forgiveness and cleansing is available, but confession and repentance must come first.
5. Develop the fear of God. Paul had sober words for the Thessalonians who ignored his admonitions about sexual sin. He told them: "He who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you" (1 Thess. 4:8). It couldn't be clearer: If you disregard sexual boundaries, you are on thin ice.
What we desperately need in the church today is a conscience awakening. Too many Christians have warped judgment—and they don't even feel godly remorse when they break God's law. If you have any form of sexual sin in your life, flee it immediately and make a 180-degree turn. He will grant you the grace to live a life of purity.
Lee was expressing his thoughts on "fornication" to a college audience, and I found them to be spot-right-on!! So I share them with you. Read on...
3. Get ruthless with your weaknesses. Jesus sounded stricter than a Catholic school principal when He talked to His disciples about self-discipline. He told them: "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matt. 5:29, NASB).
Jesus was not advocating self-mutilation. He was using sarcasm to emphasize how serious sin is—and He urged His followers to take radical steps to avoid the snares of temptation. In our sex-soaked society, it is more imperative than ever that we draw boundaries.
Got a problem with pornography? If you can't discipline yourself to avoid offending Web sites, get rid of your computer. Do you end up engaging in heavy petting or intercourse with your girlfriend or boyfriend after a few minutes of kissing? Draw lines and stick to them. And if you can't stick to the rules, ask for intervention. If you don't you are headed for spiritual shipwreck.
4. Live a transparent life. The Bible never advocates that we battle sin alone. We need each other. James 5:16 says: "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." In some cases you will never get victory over temptation until you share your struggle with another Christian and seek counsel and prayer.
So many believers today are living with secrets. Many women (and men too) were molested as children by a relative or friend—yet they have never shared their pain. Many young guys are trapped in a dark world of pornography and masturbation but are too ashamed to admit it. Many Christians struggle with same-sex attraction yet they fear that if they confess their thoughts they will be rejected.
You will never discover the abundant life Christ promised until you clean out your spiritual closets and deal with all your dirty laundry. Total forgiveness and cleansing is available, but confession and repentance must come first.
5. Develop the fear of God. Paul had sober words for the Thessalonians who ignored his admonitions about sexual sin. He told them: "He who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you" (1 Thess. 4:8). It couldn't be clearer: If you disregard sexual boundaries, you are on thin ice.
What we desperately need in the church today is a conscience awakening. Too many Christians have warped judgment—and they don't even feel godly remorse when they break God's law. If you have any form of sexual sin in your life, flee it immediately and make a 180-degree turn. He will grant you the grace to live a life of purity.
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